The John A. McDougall Family - By Mrs. Wm. McNichol (Edna McDougall)

My father, John A. McDougall and his wife Cathrine were born in Prince Edward Island.   As a young man, he attended college and taught school in Summerside and Clyde River for fifteen years.  He told us at that time it was a great privilege to be sent to college.  My mother was his pupil, and at the tender age of seventeen, and he twenty   three years, they were married.  My mother was a very busy young woman, as she ran a small store and Post Office, besides her household duties.  They had six daughters in P.E.I., Annie, Mildred, who died at four years old, Mary Stewart, Edna, Marian and Winnifred. Times got hard and with these five small children, like rnany more at that time, came west to Manitoba and took up a homestead. The first year here the seventh daughter, Bessie, was born, then four sons, Bartie, Kenneth, Douglas and Angus. These were hard times with very little income. My father was assessor for several years and would do most of his work during the winter, driving from farm to farm, getting details for tax purposes. This left my mother alone With the family of small children. No doubt she had many anxious moments. She had a wonderful neighbor, Mrs Robt. Patterson, who helped her out in many ways. In spite of her busy life, my mother found time to hook rugs. I can remember there always seemed to be a rugs partly finished, rolled on its frame. stood against the wall in daytime, taken down when the children went to bed and worked on for a few hours. She would dye old clothes to the color she needed to make an attractive rug. Once she hooked a rug about three by f ive feet, a black border, the rest a pretty blue to represent a lake. On the lake was a large white swan, in front of the swan, a beautiful water lily. Mother was unable to attend the Russell fair. Mr. and Mrs. Patterson took this rug and entered it. When the judge examined it he said, ''This rug is made by machine, I cannot give it first prize". Mr. and Mrs. Patterson spoke up and said, 'We know and saw the lady work this.' Needless to say it won first prize. Mother gave this rug to Mrs. Patterson who had helped her many times.

Father's farm was eight miles north of Russell. He built a house in Russell where we children lived and attended school. Mother died at the age of thirty eight years; Father died at the age of sixty-eight years. We all married except Douglas, who is still a bachelor. In this year of 1966, my four brothers are still alive. Bartie lives in Nanaimo, B.C. Kenneth and Douglas, in Winnipeg, Angus in Neepawa. Winnifred and myself are the only girls still living. She lives ln Toronto Ont., and I am in Gladstone, Man. I am married to William McNichol, our children, the third generation, are: Lorna, married to John Wilson, farmer at Grandview; Ronald, married is a psychiatrist and director of the Benton State Hospital, Benton, Arkansas, USA. Clifford is a pharmacist, operates his own drug store in Gladstone.

    In closing, I will always remember my classmates in High School: Annie McDonald, Maud Huddlestone, Maud Cusitar, Jessie Setter, Peggy Tod, Lucy Spencer, Josephine Spencer, Ruth Lorimer, and some that attended for short periods: George Ledingham, George McRostie, Harry Cope, Bill Anderson, McKenzie Lawther, Bert Stevens, Tom Tod, Jack Smellie and Charlie Cameron.

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